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What Does it Take to Foster a Dog

What Is Dog Fostering?

Fostering a dog can be a very different experience between people. However, whether seeking a trial run for future adoption or simply giving back with short term care for shelter animals, fostering is not something to enter into lightly.

dog in a kennel

With a little research, it is possible to determine whether fostering a dog is a good choice for you. Here are some thoughts and guidelines that will bring you closer to an answer and help you get started if fostering still seems like a good fit. Continue reading “What Does it Take to Foster a Dog”

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Is Your Dog Chewing Everything?

Does your dog have a chewing problem? Do you come home to tattered furniture and mangled socks? You are not alone, because destructive chewing is actually one of the most common problems between young dogs and their new owners.

beagle chewing a shoe laying on green grass

Lucky for you, the scale of the problem means that effective solutions have been developed and tested over time. So, try these following steps, and stop your dog from destroying the house!
Continue reading “Is Your Dog Chewing Everything?”

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Does your dog have bad manners?

These are the top behavioral issues with dogs and how to correct them

Does your dog exhibit destructive or annoying behavior? Fear not, you are not alone! Most dog owners go through at least some period of adjusting negative behavior in their dog, and it’s more than possible to scrub bad habits from an animal’s personality. Here is a list of six common behavioral problems found in dogs, and some explanation on how to solve them. Continue reading “Does your dog have bad manners?”

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Ages & Stages of Dog Development

Puppies can be a lot to handle, especially if you’ve never had a dog before. Knowing more about their development cycle is instrumental to raising a well-behaved, furry friend.

group of dogs
 
While the exact amount of time in each stage might differ, the consensus is that dogs, as puppies, generally move through five different stages of development before reaching full maturity and adulthood. These stages are: Continue reading “Ages & Stages of Dog Development”

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Bored Dogs Need Variety

Boredom and variety are usually interconnected in case of dog misbehaving. Yes, this is true.
Many a times, boredom can be managed with variety of materials that will distract the animals to a greater extent. Hence, the dog may not do the abnormal or unwanted activity arising out of the boredom experienced by it.

Boredom experienced dogs may have different types of behavioral patterns. For example, some dogs will be seen barking continuously and some may be engaged always in some digging activities. There are many ways to get your dog out of its boredom activities. Many toys are available which simulated duck, dog, rodent etc. Continue reading “Bored Dogs Need Variety”

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3 Tips To Better Dog Training

There are virtually as many approaches to training a dog as there are dogs to train! It seems as if every day new systems and techniques are announced or older methods are resurrected. Check a bookstore shelf or do a quick internet search and you will be overwhelmed with the number of ways people may advocate training a dog.

Despite the tremendous diversity of methods, almost every successful dog training system is premised on positive reinforcement techniques. The once frequent techniques involving intimidation, humiliation and punishment have long been abandoned in the face of growing proof of their relative ineffectiveness. All of the new, more effective, recommended means of dog training share something else in common: their effectiveness can be enhanced significantly by remembering three simple secrets. Continue reading “3 Tips To Better Dog Training”

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“Bowser Meets Baby” – How To Introduce Your New Baby To The Family Dog

Congratulations, you’re going to have a baby! In all the flurry of activity, many parents-to-be neglect to prepare the family dog. This can be a mistake. Dogs are social creatures. Left on their own, they form packs. The pack is organized. There are leaders and followers, all equally essential to the pack’s survival. Your dog belongs to a pack, too: your family. The people lead, the dog follows. It’s that simple. Many people tend to forget their dog is a dog. It is important to recognize and respect your dog for who and what he is. You must be able to communicate with him and read his body language. He needs structure and guidance if he is to function appropriately within the family. How? Read on. Continue reading ““Bowser Meets Baby” – How To Introduce Your New Baby To The Family Dog”

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Dog Toys – The Right Ones

For dogs and other animal companions, toys are not a luxury, but a necessity. Toys help fight boredom in dogs left alone, and toys can even help prevent some problem behaviors from developing. Although cats can be pretty picky when it comes to enjoying particular toys—ignoring a $10 catnip mouse and marveling over a piece of crumpled newsprint—dogs are often more than willing to “play” with any object they can get their paws on. That means you’ll need to be particularly careful when monitoring your dog’s playtime to prevent any “unscheduled” activities. Continue reading “Dog Toys – The Right Ones”